Hi there!
Sorry for the lag time in between posts. I haven't had much of a change or "moment" since my last appointment that compelled me to write very much. However, last week I had another "cool" moment.
To celebrate two years of dating, I took John to a Red Sox game in Boston. About halfway through the game I had a moment where I realized that this was the first outdoor sporting event I attended where I was able to fully see. Normally with an outdoor event, my eyes would dry out due to my terrible contacts and ultimately create bad vision. I struggled to read scoreboards and see what was actually happening in front of me. This time was different. I could see crisply ... it was so cool! I had no trouble reading signs from far away (John and I played the "sign game" again) and my eyes were not dry. This was another moment where a person with regular vision would think of me as crazy, but to me, it was life changing.
John's gift to me was a surprise trip to NYC for the night to see Once on Broadway ... very cool and a great show! As I was sitting in the theatre, I had another "oh my God, I can see" moment. So many times I would go to theatre shows and concerts and have such a hard time seeing because of the lighting, dry contacts, etc. Just as I experienced during the Red Sox game a few days earlier, I was able to see in a whole new way. My eyes were not dry, I was able to see details on the set, and I could see facial features on the performers. I was also able to be amazed by Times Square as I experienced it for the first time during our walk back to the hotel (did you know that they leave the New Years' Ball up there all year long?!). I never realized how badly I was seeing with contacts until these very moments. I always knew that I had a better chance of seeing well at events if I wore my glasses, but I rarely went that route (so vain of me!).
I've realized more and more that the only time I experience a dry eye feeling in the morning is if I went out for a couple of drinks the night before, or if I didn't sleep a lot. After a few drops, I'm good to go. Another great feeling to note is that my eyes feel healthier and "free." I remember when I would take my contacts out, my eyes would seemingly breathe a sigh or relief because they were able to get some air and take a break. Now, my eyes feel adjusted and just great!
I had a minor freakout moment a week ago when an eyelash found its way onto my eye and I couldn't figure out how to get it off without touching my eye. After some very strategic attempts, I eventually just grabbed some eye drops and flushed it out and all was well.
Over the next two weekends, I am participating in a couple of mud runs. This weekend, I am running the Adventure 5k, and next weekend I am participating in Tough Mudder New England. I am not worried about the 5k, but for Mudder, I am going to grab a pair of goggles for the water and mud parts, as my eyes are still healing. I believe it takes them a good year to be fully healed, but the first 6 months are the most drastic. The last thing I want is to get some mud stuck in there and mess up my incredible progress (a lovely $4,000 mistake). There are parts of the course where ice water is mixed with other lovely ingredients that I heard can sting any open cuts ... I definitely don't want whatever that is to be touching my eyes! I did speak with one of the eye doctor assistants about this before having the surgery, and she said I will be fine as long as I stuck with some goggles. I am sure that's the least of my worries with a Tough Mudder!
My next appointment is still set for June. It is mind boggling for me to realize that I can see *better* now than when I was wearing contacts. Incredible!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
"You're a True Disciple for This"
Hey there!
Last Monday, I had my one-month post-op appointment! I meant to update this sooner, however, I have been very busy over the last week!
Everything went really well! My vision has remained stable since my last appointment. I can still read parts of the 20/15 line, so they consider that 20/20+. Dr. D. is still amazed that I have had virtually no complications or setbacks, despite having such horrible vision before. I think he was expecting there to have been some regression, and begin talking about some "touch-ups" (not uncommon), but I was good to go!
Dr. D. told me I am a "true disciple" for LASIK, and to continue spreading my experience to others. He mentioned that there are many people out there trying to stop LASIK procedures in the US (mainly because of the bad seeds out there who jump to perform the procedure on people who may be considered 'high risk'). Those individuals (and somewhat rightfully so) had horrible experiences and clearly want to shut the whole operation down. There are definite risks with LASIK eye surgery, as with any surgery, and it is important to "shop around" when looking for the right doctor. I chose Nashua Eye Associates because they have been familiar with my case since I was seven years old. They have been my primary eye doctor for virtually 20 years ... it was a no-brainer. Also, they don't rely on LASIK corrective procedures to stay afloat. They are eye doctors first, and offer refractive surgeries as a side-gig, almost. They recognize the awesomeness that is LASIK and want to share the experience with others, like myself, who long for decent-to-perfect vision without aid. There are businesses out there (and yes, they are businesses) who are solely out there to perform LASIK procedures. That isn't a terrible thing, however, I've heard horror stories about individuals walking in, being instantly approved, second-guessing themselves, and visiting another doctor who ultimately refused to perform the surgery because the individual's corneas were too thin (a disaster for LASIK). The long and short of it is, do your research, and do it well. These are your eyes. You don't have a spare hanging around in the wings if something goes wrong. I contacted many LASIK offices, talked to individuals who have had personal experiences, read reviews, literature ... basically, I exhausted all areas to make sure I was making the right decision, and I believe I nailed it.
I was cleared to stop taking the steroid drops, and my eyelashes are so happy with that decision, I can tell! I no longer have the filmy look on my eyelashes, which sometimes caused a fog in my vision. Now, I can truly "see" how I am supposed to be seeing ... it's incredible! Last Sunday was the first time I woke up without dry eyes!!! What a cool feeling to experience after weeks of feeling as though I slept with my contacts in. I woke up, felt comfortable, and most importantly, could SEE! And really well! I am still continuing with my Restasis drops, since Dr. D. explained to me that my eyes are still healing, and the best way to help them heal is to keep them moist. He said, even if I feel like my eyes are fine, I still need to keep with the Restasis drops. There have been a few mornings where the dry eye feeling has returned, but it is usually when I haven't had a lot of sleep (or haven't hydrated myself very well the day before). Another awesome part of the appointment? I was finally cleared to wear makeup again! AMEN!
I went away for the weekend with John for St. Patrick's Day; the first time since having the surgery. As I was packing, I felt as though I was forgetting to pack something that I knew I needed. It was a nagging feeling! As I was driving, I realized what it was: my contacts, cases, solution, and glasses! Of course, I didn't need them, but I've never left home without those essentials before, so it was a really cool experience to figure out what it was I "forgot" and realizing I didn't need them anymore! I am going away to Virginia this coming weekend, and can't wait to not pack my contacts again!
Basically, my eyesight kicks butt, and my recovery has been incredible. I couldn't be happier. I go back to visit Dr. D. in June for my 3-month post-op and will post around then, unless anything crazy happens in between!
Last Monday, I had my one-month post-op appointment! I meant to update this sooner, however, I have been very busy over the last week!
Everything went really well! My vision has remained stable since my last appointment. I can still read parts of the 20/15 line, so they consider that 20/20+. Dr. D. is still amazed that I have had virtually no complications or setbacks, despite having such horrible vision before. I think he was expecting there to have been some regression, and begin talking about some "touch-ups" (not uncommon), but I was good to go!
Dr. D. told me I am a "true disciple" for LASIK, and to continue spreading my experience to others. He mentioned that there are many people out there trying to stop LASIK procedures in the US (mainly because of the bad seeds out there who jump to perform the procedure on people who may be considered 'high risk'). Those individuals (and somewhat rightfully so) had horrible experiences and clearly want to shut the whole operation down. There are definite risks with LASIK eye surgery, as with any surgery, and it is important to "shop around" when looking for the right doctor. I chose Nashua Eye Associates because they have been familiar with my case since I was seven years old. They have been my primary eye doctor for virtually 20 years ... it was a no-brainer. Also, they don't rely on LASIK corrective procedures to stay afloat. They are eye doctors first, and offer refractive surgeries as a side-gig, almost. They recognize the awesomeness that is LASIK and want to share the experience with others, like myself, who long for decent-to-perfect vision without aid. There are businesses out there (and yes, they are businesses) who are solely out there to perform LASIK procedures. That isn't a terrible thing, however, I've heard horror stories about individuals walking in, being instantly approved, second-guessing themselves, and visiting another doctor who ultimately refused to perform the surgery because the individual's corneas were too thin (a disaster for LASIK). The long and short of it is, do your research, and do it well. These are your eyes. You don't have a spare hanging around in the wings if something goes wrong. I contacted many LASIK offices, talked to individuals who have had personal experiences, read reviews, literature ... basically, I exhausted all areas to make sure I was making the right decision, and I believe I nailed it.
I was cleared to stop taking the steroid drops, and my eyelashes are so happy with that decision, I can tell! I no longer have the filmy look on my eyelashes, which sometimes caused a fog in my vision. Now, I can truly "see" how I am supposed to be seeing ... it's incredible! Last Sunday was the first time I woke up without dry eyes!!! What a cool feeling to experience after weeks of feeling as though I slept with my contacts in. I woke up, felt comfortable, and most importantly, could SEE! And really well! I am still continuing with my Restasis drops, since Dr. D. explained to me that my eyes are still healing, and the best way to help them heal is to keep them moist. He said, even if I feel like my eyes are fine, I still need to keep with the Restasis drops. There have been a few mornings where the dry eye feeling has returned, but it is usually when I haven't had a lot of sleep (or haven't hydrated myself very well the day before). Another awesome part of the appointment? I was finally cleared to wear makeup again! AMEN!
I went away for the weekend with John for St. Patrick's Day; the first time since having the surgery. As I was packing, I felt as though I was forgetting to pack something that I knew I needed. It was a nagging feeling! As I was driving, I realized what it was: my contacts, cases, solution, and glasses! Of course, I didn't need them, but I've never left home without those essentials before, so it was a really cool experience to figure out what it was I "forgot" and realizing I didn't need them anymore! I am going away to Virginia this coming weekend, and can't wait to not pack my contacts again!
Basically, my eyesight kicks butt, and my recovery has been incredible. I couldn't be happier. I go back to visit Dr. D. in June for my 3-month post-op and will post around then, unless anything crazy happens in between!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Still Can't Believe It!
I had another moment last night where I remembered I was seeing without the help of contacts or glasses. I have these moments every now and then, and they are never any less exciting! It just kind of occurs to me and I have a "woah!" moment and look around at everything. I think this will continue for a long time, if not forever!
My sight is awesome. I have no complaints. My only "issue," and it really is a nonissue, happened last week when I was bridesmaid dress shopping with friends. We were at the bridal shop and it was a sea of white, white, and more, well, white. On top of that, the lights were super bright. We were shopping for 3+ hours (the bride shopped for her dress as well) and it really took a toll on my eyes. I started to get an "eye-ache" ... basically a headache in my eye. I just continued with my drops, figuring dryness might be a contributor, and took some ibuprofen when I got home ... no big deal!
What a difference a week makes, because I should have had a similar occurrence yesterday (with the whole "eye-ache" thing). I took my dog, Remmie, to play with some of his doggie friends at my friend's 100-acre plot up north (a dog's paradise). We finally got snow last week (first real snow fall of the winter ... seriously) and stayed outside for 3 hours. The snow was bright ... so much so, that we all got some color on our faces. I was surprised that I didn't have any sort of headache or eye pain after that, considering what happened at the bridal shop the week before. Pretty sweet!
I can't tell if my eyesight at night is getting better (light glare/starbursts), or if I am just so used to it now that I don't even notice it. Either way, it doesn't bother me anymore, so I don't really care what the answer is. I drove in the snow storm last week, at night, and was completely fine. It's not even a second thought to me anymore.
I am still fairly careful when I'm showering and washing my face. I am also not rubbing my eyes at all, however, I'm getting braver with lightly brushing away any residue from drops under and to the sides of my eyes. I still have to clean my eyelashes, as the drops leave a lovely film on them that seems almost impossible to get rid of. Not having the ability to rub my eyes has been easier than I originally thought. I have become pretty creative with ways to alleviate an itchy eye and get rid of "sleepies" in the morning. Overall, not a big deal at all!
My eyes are still a little dry, but only in the mornings. I rarely have to wake up in the middle of the night to put drops in. In fact, I never wake up because I have dry eyes ... I often just decide to put some drops in if I happen to randomly wake up. I still have my steroid drops and Restasis, as per the doctor's recommendation. I go for my one-month post-op appointment on Monday, the 12th, and I'm hoping I can stop with at least the steroid drops and *fingers crossed* start wearing mascara again!
I started working out again at CrossFit TUFF, and it is so great to not deal with my contacts shifting mid-workout and making my vision fuzzy. I'm all about consistency and planning, so it is great to know I can rely on my eyes to be consistently awesome!
I still can't believe I actually had LASIK done and have had tremendous results! Wohoo!
My sight is awesome. I have no complaints. My only "issue," and it really is a nonissue, happened last week when I was bridesmaid dress shopping with friends. We were at the bridal shop and it was a sea of white, white, and more, well, white. On top of that, the lights were super bright. We were shopping for 3+ hours (the bride shopped for her dress as well) and it really took a toll on my eyes. I started to get an "eye-ache" ... basically a headache in my eye. I just continued with my drops, figuring dryness might be a contributor, and took some ibuprofen when I got home ... no big deal!
What a difference a week makes, because I should have had a similar occurrence yesterday (with the whole "eye-ache" thing). I took my dog, Remmie, to play with some of his doggie friends at my friend's 100-acre plot up north (a dog's paradise). We finally got snow last week (first real snow fall of the winter ... seriously) and stayed outside for 3 hours. The snow was bright ... so much so, that we all got some color on our faces. I was surprised that I didn't have any sort of headache or eye pain after that, considering what happened at the bridal shop the week before. Pretty sweet!
I can't tell if my eyesight at night is getting better (light glare/starbursts), or if I am just so used to it now that I don't even notice it. Either way, it doesn't bother me anymore, so I don't really care what the answer is. I drove in the snow storm last week, at night, and was completely fine. It's not even a second thought to me anymore.
I am still fairly careful when I'm showering and washing my face. I am also not rubbing my eyes at all, however, I'm getting braver with lightly brushing away any residue from drops under and to the sides of my eyes. I still have to clean my eyelashes, as the drops leave a lovely film on them that seems almost impossible to get rid of. Not having the ability to rub my eyes has been easier than I originally thought. I have become pretty creative with ways to alleviate an itchy eye and get rid of "sleepies" in the morning. Overall, not a big deal at all!
My eyes are still a little dry, but only in the mornings. I rarely have to wake up in the middle of the night to put drops in. In fact, I never wake up because I have dry eyes ... I often just decide to put some drops in if I happen to randomly wake up. I still have my steroid drops and Restasis, as per the doctor's recommendation. I go for my one-month post-op appointment on Monday, the 12th, and I'm hoping I can stop with at least the steroid drops and *fingers crossed* start wearing mascara again!
I started working out again at CrossFit TUFF, and it is so great to not deal with my contacts shifting mid-workout and making my vision fuzzy. I'm all about consistency and planning, so it is great to know I can rely on my eyes to be consistently awesome!
I still can't believe I actually had LASIK done and have had tremendous results! Wohoo!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Boozy Eyes!
Just a quick experience worth noting!
Alcohol and eyes ...
Last night was Trivia Night (as every Wednesday night is with my friends) which meant alcohol was in the plenty. I really didn't have much to drink at all (a shot of Fireball Whiskey... it was on the house, don't judge, and one beer), but I opted for alcohol over water for a change. After our team dominated (Team: Rihanna: I'd hit that ... again, no judging), I went home and headed to bed. I woke up twice in the middle of the night with a pair of really dry eyes (amongst crazy thirst, not surprising). I couldn't run fast enough to my drops I left in the kitchen (why were they not on my nightstand?! UGH). This wasn't the first time I had a "drinking night" since having LASIK done, but this was the first time I had a mixture of liquor and beer, so I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it.
Either way, this was the first time my eyes felt the dehydration from my drinking, which I found kind of comical :) I guess from now on I need to pound drops into my eyes like I should pound water before headed out for a night on the town ;)
Alcohol and eyes ...
Last night was Trivia Night (as every Wednesday night is with my friends) which meant alcohol was in the plenty. I really didn't have much to drink at all (a shot of Fireball Whiskey... it was on the house, don't judge, and one beer), but I opted for alcohol over water for a change. After our team dominated (Team: Rihanna: I'd hit that ... again, no judging), I went home and headed to bed. I woke up twice in the middle of the night with a pair of really dry eyes (amongst crazy thirst, not surprising). I couldn't run fast enough to my drops I left in the kitchen (why were they not on my nightstand?! UGH). This wasn't the first time I had a "drinking night" since having LASIK done, but this was the first time I had a mixture of liquor and beer, so I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it.
Either way, this was the first time my eyes felt the dehydration from my drinking, which I found kind of comical :) I guess from now on I need to pound drops into my eyes like I should pound water before headed out for a night on the town ;)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Just Keeps Getting Better
Well, it has been two weeks since my surgery, and things are seem to be going swimmingly! I can honestly say that the dry-eye situation is getting drastically better. I noticed this weekend that when I woke up in the morning, I wasn't running to find my eye drops. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I would put some in as a proactive measure, not because I necessarily needed them. I noticed on Sunday that my vision seemed to be at its peak. Everything was so crisp and there was no dryness! John and I played the "Can you read that sign?" game again while in the car :)
Last week, I received a really nice card from my doctor and his staff, thanking me for choosing and trusting them with my care. Inside, there was a wonderful gift -- a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble, as a "congratulations on your new vision!" gesture (I'm assuming). I thought that was so nice of them. There was also a referral sheet outlining what benefits I would get if anyone I referred actually went along with the surgery. Not bad ... I'd get a check for $100 for the first person and $150 for every person after that. I certainly can't complain!
Yesterday, vision in my left eye seemed to be a little blurred. Today, my right eye apparently decided to swap roles with the left eye and take a try at it (I would have written "... take a stab at it" but "stab" seemed a little violent when talking about my eyes, haha!). My left eye is back to normal; my right eye is a little off. Also, my right eye is feeling a little sore and there seems to be a little red irritation line looming ... no big deal, though!
I am amazed every day when I wake up that I am able to SEE! It really is incredible ... the coolest thing I've ever experienced. It is also pretty great that I never have to worry about sleeping with my contacts in, forgetting to put them in, and all of that fun stuff. I am going on a trip to Virginia next month to visit family, and I am excited that I won't have to worry about forgetting to pack a backup pair of contacts, my case, solution and glasses! It is exciting to just "get up and go" when I wake up now. Although it only took a few seconds to put my contacts in each day, it took several minutes for them to adjust (super annoying). Eliminating that morning ritual has really added some extra time to my morning scramble!
Once again, no real complaints! I still feel as though I'm living a dream! I can't believe I can finally SEE!!
Last week, I received a really nice card from my doctor and his staff, thanking me for choosing and trusting them with my care. Inside, there was a wonderful gift -- a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble, as a "congratulations on your new vision!" gesture (I'm assuming). I thought that was so nice of them. There was also a referral sheet outlining what benefits I would get if anyone I referred actually went along with the surgery. Not bad ... I'd get a check for $100 for the first person and $150 for every person after that. I certainly can't complain!
Yesterday, vision in my left eye seemed to be a little blurred. Today, my right eye apparently decided to swap roles with the left eye and take a try at it (I would have written "... take a stab at it" but "stab" seemed a little violent when talking about my eyes, haha!). My left eye is back to normal; my right eye is a little off. Also, my right eye is feeling a little sore and there seems to be a little red irritation line looming ... no big deal, though!
I am amazed every day when I wake up that I am able to SEE! It really is incredible ... the coolest thing I've ever experienced. It is also pretty great that I never have to worry about sleeping with my contacts in, forgetting to put them in, and all of that fun stuff. I am going on a trip to Virginia next month to visit family, and I am excited that I won't have to worry about forgetting to pack a backup pair of contacts, my case, solution and glasses! It is exciting to just "get up and go" when I wake up now. Although it only took a few seconds to put my contacts in each day, it took several minutes for them to adjust (super annoying). Eliminating that morning ritual has really added some extra time to my morning scramble!
Once again, no real complaints! I still feel as though I'm living a dream! I can't believe I can finally SEE!!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
I Can See Clearly Now....
Just worth noting that the night I had my surgery, one of my very best friends left me a voicemail of her singing the song, "I Can See Clearly Now," but changed the words from "...the rain is gone" to: "... my astigmatism is gone," haha. I have been sworn to vow to never play it for anyone, but I did save it for eternity and don't have a password on my voicemail if anyone just so happens to snag my phone ... her name is Kathleen ;)
Also worth noting: Today was the first day I actually woke up and had the true ability to "see clearly." It was the first time I didn't have to wear those silly eye shields to bed. Those never allowed me to truly "see" when I first woke up until I peeled them off of my face. They were just plastic with tape all over them, so vision was not clear (and shouldn't have been). My first thought when I opened my eyes this morning was, "cool!"
My eyes are still super dry in the morning, but now that I'm allowed to put warm compresses on my face, it helps clear everything up a bit and get my eyes rejuvenated.
Night glares are still hanging around and are getting a little annoying if I'm driving, but I'm hopeful that things will get back to normal over time. When I first started considering having this done, I was told it was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Basically, I was told to not expect unrealistic results right off the bat ... give it time. Lucky for me, winter is pretty much out the door (although, it never really made an appearance this year), and longer days are ahead. Driving at "night" will be at a minimum since the sun will be out longer ... score! Always looking toward the bright side (get it??)
Also worth noting: Today was the first day I actually woke up and had the true ability to "see clearly." It was the first time I didn't have to wear those silly eye shields to bed. Those never allowed me to truly "see" when I first woke up until I peeled them off of my face. They were just plastic with tape all over them, so vision was not clear (and shouldn't have been). My first thought when I opened my eyes this morning was, "cool!"
My eyes are still super dry in the morning, but now that I'm allowed to put warm compresses on my face, it helps clear everything up a bit and get my eyes rejuvenated.
Night glares are still hanging around and are getting a little annoying if I'm driving, but I'm hopeful that things will get back to normal over time. When I first started considering having this done, I was told it was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Basically, I was told to not expect unrealistic results right off the bat ... give it time. Lucky for me, winter is pretty much out the door (although, it never really made an appearance this year), and longer days are ahead. Driving at "night" will be at a minimum since the sun will be out longer ... score! Always looking toward the bright side (get it??)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
"I've Created a Monster"
I had an early-morning visit with Dr. D. at Nashua Eye Associates today and I must say, visiting that place during the morning is a much more pleasant experience (not that it's ever bad, though). Calm music was playing and the place was empty. Fast forward to the afternoon and the place is turned into the geriatric ward with walkers and wheelchairs bumping into things and really loud 'turn-your-hearing-aid-up' type voices. I think I am always going to schedule my appointments this early, however, I thought things were going to be off to a bad start when I woke up at 6:30am and tried to brush my teeth with deodorant.......
Awesome news to report: I see 20/15!!!!!!! To be fair, I couldn't read the entire 20/15 line, but I saw enough of it to count, I guess. Neither the 20/20 or the 20/15 lines were super crisp, but I was told that will come with time and it probably had something to do with my eyes being dry. I was told the morning is when our eyes are the driest, and I can certainly attest to that. I hadn't taken my Restasis drops yet, so I am sure that contributed to it as well. The longer I sat in the exam chair and let my eyes adjust, the clearer I could see the 20/15 line. In fact, when Dr. D. put a little moisture in my eyes before fully looking at them with the lamp, I could see the lines pretty clearly.
Dr. D. was shocked and really excited about my progress. Not that he didn't think it would work, but, with my eyes being as poor as they were before, the speed of the progress I've been experiencing really is miraculous. He sat back and said, "I've created a monster!" ... pretty cool if you ask me :)
I am now done with taking the Vigamox (antibiotic) drops and I'm down to taking the Prednisolone (steroid) drops twice a day (as opposed to four times a day). I am keeping with the Restasis drops as well as the Refresh Optive rewetting drops as needed (bought more today). Apparently there was another prescription I was supposed to be taking, but never received. Dr. D. was not fazed by it and we both kind of laughed it off. He said my eyes are healthy and there are still no ripples in my cornea. I've been cleared to sleep without the awesome eye shields (wohoo!) and I can now let water run on my face in the shower. No more neck-breaking shower experiences! I am now allowed to put a warm compress on my eyes and that will allow for my eyelashes to clear up a bit (medicine drops get caught on them), however, still no eye makeup (boooo). Also, still no rubbing my eyes. I'm not too concerned about it. I figure, if I've survived a week without rubbing my eyes, especially when they were at their most irritated, I'm fine to continue on. All-in-all, everything is better than expected! I made an appointment to come back in a month. Dr. D. said typically he could go three months before seeing me again, but he likes to check up on his LASIK patients sooner and keep a close eye on them (pun intended).
Today, my eyes are the usual dry and still have those lovely red irritated lines at the top and feel a little sore/tired. Dr. D. didn't mention anything other than my eyes looking great, so I'm going to assume everything is normal.
I already had one friend contact my eye doctor to set up a consultation. He was really impressed with my results and was approved for LASIK elsewhere, but the price he was quoted was significantly more than I paid. I'm anxious to hear how it goes. The office should be calling him today. If anyone is interested in hearing more, feel free to contact me. I cannot say enough positive things about Nashua Eye Associates, Dr. D and his team, as well as the team over at Lens Doctors. Obviously, I can only speak from my experience with them, but I'd say they are certainly among the best of the best. If my friend ends up having the procedure done and mentions I referred him, I should get money off of my procedure, which is totally awesome. I was referred by a friend and gave his name, so hopefully he will receive something as well.
I couldn't be happier with the way everything is progressing! :)
Awesome news to report: I see 20/15!!!!!!! To be fair, I couldn't read the entire 20/15 line, but I saw enough of it to count, I guess. Neither the 20/20 or the 20/15 lines were super crisp, but I was told that will come with time and it probably had something to do with my eyes being dry. I was told the morning is when our eyes are the driest, and I can certainly attest to that. I hadn't taken my Restasis drops yet, so I am sure that contributed to it as well. The longer I sat in the exam chair and let my eyes adjust, the clearer I could see the 20/15 line. In fact, when Dr. D. put a little moisture in my eyes before fully looking at them with the lamp, I could see the lines pretty clearly.
Dr. D. was shocked and really excited about my progress. Not that he didn't think it would work, but, with my eyes being as poor as they were before, the speed of the progress I've been experiencing really is miraculous. He sat back and said, "I've created a monster!" ... pretty cool if you ask me :)
I am now done with taking the Vigamox (antibiotic) drops and I'm down to taking the Prednisolone (steroid) drops twice a day (as opposed to four times a day). I am keeping with the Restasis drops as well as the Refresh Optive rewetting drops as needed (bought more today). Apparently there was another prescription I was supposed to be taking, but never received. Dr. D. was not fazed by it and we both kind of laughed it off. He said my eyes are healthy and there are still no ripples in my cornea. I've been cleared to sleep without the awesome eye shields (wohoo!) and I can now let water run on my face in the shower. No more neck-breaking shower experiences! I am now allowed to put a warm compress on my eyes and that will allow for my eyelashes to clear up a bit (medicine drops get caught on them), however, still no eye makeup (boooo). Also, still no rubbing my eyes. I'm not too concerned about it. I figure, if I've survived a week without rubbing my eyes, especially when they were at their most irritated, I'm fine to continue on. All-in-all, everything is better than expected! I made an appointment to come back in a month. Dr. D. said typically he could go three months before seeing me again, but he likes to check up on his LASIK patients sooner and keep a close eye on them (pun intended).
Today, my eyes are the usual dry and still have those lovely red irritated lines at the top and feel a little sore/tired. Dr. D. didn't mention anything other than my eyes looking great, so I'm going to assume everything is normal.
I already had one friend contact my eye doctor to set up a consultation. He was really impressed with my results and was approved for LASIK elsewhere, but the price he was quoted was significantly more than I paid. I'm anxious to hear how it goes. The office should be calling him today. If anyone is interested in hearing more, feel free to contact me. I cannot say enough positive things about Nashua Eye Associates, Dr. D and his team, as well as the team over at Lens Doctors. Obviously, I can only speak from my experience with them, but I'd say they are certainly among the best of the best. If my friend ends up having the procedure done and mentions I referred him, I should get money off of my procedure, which is totally awesome. I was referred by a friend and gave his name, so hopefully he will receive something as well.
I couldn't be happier with the way everything is progressing! :)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentine's Day Red
Happy Valentine's Day!
I think my eyes knew what day it was today, because they decided to go rogue and wear a little Valentine's Day Red (if that's not already a crayon color, it should be).
My eyes hurt significantly last night during my last round of drops and even more-so today. They really hurt after I put the steroid drops in. Hopefully I will be done taking those tomorrow after my appointment. Today, I have these awesomely angry red lines on the tops of my eyes (more the right than the left) and they feel SO irritated, but again, can't rub them. They are pissed. Not sure why, because they aren't single on Valentine's Day (thankfully!) ;)
Last night I also had to make friends with Mr. Icepack again (can't leave him hanging), because my eyes felt swollen. It was mainly under my eyes and parts of my upper cheeks. I bet this had something to do with the constant staring at a computer screen while at work. I still feel a little puffy and I'm sure I will need to visit with him again tonight!
Otherwise, vision is pretty great! I am hoping my eyes chill out a little bit today. I'd even settle for a lighter shade of red ;)
I think my eyes knew what day it was today, because they decided to go rogue and wear a little Valentine's Day Red (if that's not already a crayon color, it should be).
My eyes hurt significantly last night during my last round of drops and even more-so today. They really hurt after I put the steroid drops in. Hopefully I will be done taking those tomorrow after my appointment. Today, I have these awesomely angry red lines on the tops of my eyes (more the right than the left) and they feel SO irritated, but again, can't rub them. They are pissed. Not sure why, because they aren't single on Valentine's Day (thankfully!) ;)
Last night I also had to make friends with Mr. Icepack again (can't leave him hanging), because my eyes felt swollen. It was mainly under my eyes and parts of my upper cheeks. I bet this had something to do with the constant staring at a computer screen while at work. I still feel a little puffy and I'm sure I will need to visit with him again tonight!
Otherwise, vision is pretty great! I am hoping my eyes chill out a little bit today. I'd even settle for a lighter shade of red ;)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Successful Weekend
It's been almost a week since my surgery and it has flown by. It's still hard to believe I actually had it done (not because of receiving poor results ... it just seems crazy to me!) I don't really have much to report on from this weekend. My eyes were pretty much the same since the last time I checked in. They've been the driest in the mornings, but helped tremendously with the drop regimen. The red spots are fading away and I can stare at a computer screen for longer periods of time than before (which helps with work). I'm actually pretty much back to normal in that respect. Usually, when it starts to get close to the time I need to take my drops, my eyes start feeling a little scratchy, as if there is something in them, just not as intense as it would be if something was actually in there. Once I put the drops in, I am good to go.
Left eye is still a little foggy, but it could also have something to do with my eyelashes. The medicine drops that I have to take four times a day naturally hit my eyelashes and they've kind of coated them with a film and clumped them together (I hate this). I have tried everything to get them back in order, but, without having the ability to rub or really go anywhere near my eyes, it is virtually impossible to do anything with them. Not being able to wear mascara also prevents me from using a brush to separate them. I can see that there is something on my eyelashes, so I am hoping that is just the reason for the fogginess. I go back for a one-week post-op appointment on Wednesday morning, so I will bring it up there. Dr. D. is aware of it, though, since I called last week about that and other discomforts.
John seemed pretty impressed with my progress and results (and also happy that I still decided to keep him around after truly "seeing" him for the first time, haha). He also didn't run out the door screaming when he saw my sweet eye shields. When we were driving around this past weekend, he would quiz me on what I could see. I could see really well! I still have a little ways to go, but being less than one week out, I am more than pleased. I still have night glares, but again, nothing to complain about. I did notice, however, that I am a little more sensitive to car headlights at night. I am sure that will get better with time. John's Nana asked when I'd be going back to work. I think she was surprised to hear that I'd already been back and only took a day off. After hearing that, and thinking back to how miserable I was on Thursday (two days post-op), I probably should have taken that extra day off. I had a slight feeling that the second day might be a little worse than the first day, and I was right. Ever since then, however, it has been smooth sailing.
John and I drove by the place I had the surgery at and I pointed it out. He was slightly creeped out and said it looked like it used to be a Honey Dew Donuts shop, haha. I think he was expecting more of a "doctor's office" feel. Not a free-standing building amongst a strip mall in downtown Manchester. Good thing they're legitimate! :)
I am looking forward to ditching the eye shields at night and being able to wear makeup again. I've determined that there is no possible way to get comfortable at night when you're wearing bug eyes taped to your face.
I'll be sure to post if anything dramatically changes. If not, I'll update after my appointment on Wednesday morning :)
Left eye is still a little foggy, but it could also have something to do with my eyelashes. The medicine drops that I have to take four times a day naturally hit my eyelashes and they've kind of coated them with a film and clumped them together (I hate this). I have tried everything to get them back in order, but, without having the ability to rub or really go anywhere near my eyes, it is virtually impossible to do anything with them. Not being able to wear mascara also prevents me from using a brush to separate them. I can see that there is something on my eyelashes, so I am hoping that is just the reason for the fogginess. I go back for a one-week post-op appointment on Wednesday morning, so I will bring it up there. Dr. D. is aware of it, though, since I called last week about that and other discomforts.
John seemed pretty impressed with my progress and results (and also happy that I still decided to keep him around after truly "seeing" him for the first time, haha). He also didn't run out the door screaming when he saw my sweet eye shields. When we were driving around this past weekend, he would quiz me on what I could see. I could see really well! I still have a little ways to go, but being less than one week out, I am more than pleased. I still have night glares, but again, nothing to complain about. I did notice, however, that I am a little more sensitive to car headlights at night. I am sure that will get better with time. John's Nana asked when I'd be going back to work. I think she was surprised to hear that I'd already been back and only took a day off. After hearing that, and thinking back to how miserable I was on Thursday (two days post-op), I probably should have taken that extra day off. I had a slight feeling that the second day might be a little worse than the first day, and I was right. Ever since then, however, it has been smooth sailing.
John and I drove by the place I had the surgery at and I pointed it out. He was slightly creeped out and said it looked like it used to be a Honey Dew Donuts shop, haha. I think he was expecting more of a "doctor's office" feel. Not a free-standing building amongst a strip mall in downtown Manchester. Good thing they're legitimate! :)
I am looking forward to ditching the eye shields at night and being able to wear makeup again. I've determined that there is no possible way to get comfortable at night when you're wearing bug eyes taped to your face.
I'll be sure to post if anything dramatically changes. If not, I'll update after my appointment on Wednesday morning :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Day 3 Post-op - Thank you, Restasis
Today started out much better than yesterday! I only woke up a few times in the middle of the night with a little dry eye, but nothing crazy enough to make me feel the need to put drops in. I am sure this is because of the Restasis drops I was prescribed yesterday.
My eyes are still dry, but I have to keep reminding myself that I had a freaking laser cut through my eyes. Since the surgery happened so quickly, and because I was awake for the entire thing, it's hard to comprehend how serious it actually was and how bad the outcome could have been. It really seemed like a piece of cake. I'd rather have that procedure done 100 more times before I'd ever volunteer to have my wisdom teeth taken out again. Honestly, a paper cut being introduced to hand sanitizer is much more painful and annoying than what I'm experiencing. I joked with my dad the day after the surgery when we were arriving at the post-op appointment. I slammed my knee against his car door while getting out and said that was more painful and uncomfortable than the actual surgery. Who would've thought?
Last night I came home and became best friends with an icepack. That helped me forget about any dryness and wanting to rub my eyes in between drops and helped with any puffiness around my eyes. Thinking about it now, I kind of want to go home and hang out with it again. Sounds like a fun Friday night to me ;)
As far as what I'm experiencing today, I still feel like I have over-worn contacts in my eyes. My eyes must be adjusting to the "full-on air" I wrote about before because I'm not squinting or feeling the need to close my eyes every few minutes today. My left eye is still a little foggy, but really nothing to complain about. I do notice better vision today, though, so that's pretty awesome!
All-in-all everything seems to be going really well. I hope nobody reading this takes any of the negative stuff that I'm writing as complaints. I am just trying to write an honest account of all of the good and the bad for anyone who is really interested in learning about this corrective surgery. The vision I have now and the amazingly positive experiences I've encountered to this point FAR outweigh any of the little annoyances I've experienced along the way. At this point (it's still really early in the process) I can comfortably say I highly recommend this to anyone who is on the fence about it. Being awake is what freaked me out the most (not to mention the whole "corneal flap" thing ... woof) and that was not even close to as scary as I thought it would be. I couldn't have asked for a better experience with the team I went with at Nashua Eye Associates and Lens Doctors.
For now, I'm anxious to go out this weekend and see some friends (that has a whole new meaning now)!
If anything new develops I'll be sure to update. I'm sure John is excited to see me in my new eye shields this weekend! They really are the cutting edge in fashion ;)
Bye for now! :)
***Side note: Showering is "interesting" to say the least. I have to avoid getting any water near my eyes, so I basically have to break my neck when washing my hair and hold a facecloth to my eyes and "blindly" shower ... which is ironic since I have near-perfect vision now ;) Just worth noting!***
My eyes are still dry, but I have to keep reminding myself that I had a freaking laser cut through my eyes. Since the surgery happened so quickly, and because I was awake for the entire thing, it's hard to comprehend how serious it actually was and how bad the outcome could have been. It really seemed like a piece of cake. I'd rather have that procedure done 100 more times before I'd ever volunteer to have my wisdom teeth taken out again. Honestly, a paper cut being introduced to hand sanitizer is much more painful and annoying than what I'm experiencing. I joked with my dad the day after the surgery when we were arriving at the post-op appointment. I slammed my knee against his car door while getting out and said that was more painful and uncomfortable than the actual surgery. Who would've thought?
Last night I came home and became best friends with an icepack. That helped me forget about any dryness and wanting to rub my eyes in between drops and helped with any puffiness around my eyes. Thinking about it now, I kind of want to go home and hang out with it again. Sounds like a fun Friday night to me ;)
As far as what I'm experiencing today, I still feel like I have over-worn contacts in my eyes. My eyes must be adjusting to the "full-on air" I wrote about before because I'm not squinting or feeling the need to close my eyes every few minutes today. My left eye is still a little foggy, but really nothing to complain about. I do notice better vision today, though, so that's pretty awesome!
All-in-all everything seems to be going really well. I hope nobody reading this takes any of the negative stuff that I'm writing as complaints. I am just trying to write an honest account of all of the good and the bad for anyone who is really interested in learning about this corrective surgery. The vision I have now and the amazingly positive experiences I've encountered to this point FAR outweigh any of the little annoyances I've experienced along the way. At this point (it's still really early in the process) I can comfortably say I highly recommend this to anyone who is on the fence about it. Being awake is what freaked me out the most (not to mention the whole "corneal flap" thing ... woof) and that was not even close to as scary as I thought it would be. I couldn't have asked for a better experience with the team I went with at Nashua Eye Associates and Lens Doctors.
For now, I'm anxious to go out this weekend and see some friends (that has a whole new meaning now)!
If anything new develops I'll be sure to update. I'm sure John is excited to see me in my new eye shields this weekend! They really are the cutting edge in fashion ;)
Bye for now! :)
***Side note: Showering is "interesting" to say the least. I have to avoid getting any water near my eyes, so I basically have to break my neck when washing my hair and hold a facecloth to my eyes and "blindly" shower ... which is ironic since I have near-perfect vision now ;) Just worth noting!***
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Itching like the Dickens ... Day 2
Looks like the honeymoon is over ... for now!
I didn't have the best night last night and woke up around 5:00am with some serious dry eyes. Almost crusted over (yum) with "sleepies" and sore, kind of like when you have conjunctivitis. I debated getting up and taking the eye shields off to put drops in. Seriously, the worst part of this whole thing is taking off the damn eye shields because the medical tape holding them onto my face sticks like glue ... ouch!
I got up anyhow, took the shields off, and put in some drops. It stung to the point where I felt slightly nauseous (probably because it made me nervous. I'm a worrywart) and crawled back into bed. Shortly after, my eyes started to ITCH ... and I mean really itch! I wasn't alarmed by this, but I was so annoyed because I couldn't rub them to relieve them. UGH! I couldn't figure out if opening my eyes or closing my eyes felt better. I had to just wait for it to go away. Finally, I fell back to sleep.
Waking up a few hours later was not overly enjoyable. It certainly was not as exciting as waking up the day before! This time, I peeled the shields off again (awesome, as always) and tried to wash the ridiculous amount of shiny adhesive stuff off of my face, all while avoiding my eyes. You really don't realize how often you come in contact with your eyes, or their general vicinity, until you can't go anywhere near them. Also, getting the adhesive off is a pain in the b-u-t-t. I'm still not allowed to wear makeup (foundation at the most, but I'm still a little freaked out to wear any), so I look really awesome stepping out in public. My eyes feel really heavy today and I'm squinting. I'm not squinting as a means to see, though. I think I'm squinting more because my eyes really aren't used to having so much air. It sounds funny, but think about it: I pretty much always wore my contacts, which didn't allow for full airflow access to them. When I took them out I would go straight to bed. When I took them out on occasion and didn't go straight to bed, I would feel what I'm feeling now. It's like air overload, haha.
My vision is a little foggy today, especially in my left eye. I can still see really well, but it feels like I've over worn my contacts and they have a film over them (anyone who has fallen asleep with their contacts in knows this feeling). I have to keep reminding myself that I do not have contacts anymore! I called the doctor only because I was a little nervous with the stinging sensation I felt in my eyes after the Refresh drops. Of all of the drops I have, I was expecting those to feel the best, since there's no real medication tied to them. I was 99% sure what I was experiencing was completely normal, but I decided to call Dr. D. anyhow because he insisted on me calling even if I thought my question was dumb. My suspicions were correct and everything was and is completely normal. However, he is calling a prescription in for me of Restasis for some additional dry eye relief (wohoo!). I'm going to also take the technician's advice and throw the Refresh and Restasis drops in the refrigerator for maximum awesomeness when I plop them in my eyes. I actually can't wait for that!
In other news, I drove for the first time since surgery today! That was pretty cool! I am back to work, but I really can't wait to head home and throw an icepack on my face and just do nothing. My eyes are a little puffy, but overall, everything is still pretty amazing! I looked at my eyes up close today for the first time (I was honestly a little scared to look before) and you really can't even see that I had anything done. It is so stinking cool.
Time for more drops! I'll check in with progress a little later! :)
I didn't have the best night last night and woke up around 5:00am with some serious dry eyes. Almost crusted over (yum) with "sleepies" and sore, kind of like when you have conjunctivitis. I debated getting up and taking the eye shields off to put drops in. Seriously, the worst part of this whole thing is taking off the damn eye shields because the medical tape holding them onto my face sticks like glue ... ouch!
I got up anyhow, took the shields off, and put in some drops. It stung to the point where I felt slightly nauseous (probably because it made me nervous. I'm a worrywart) and crawled back into bed. Shortly after, my eyes started to ITCH ... and I mean really itch! I wasn't alarmed by this, but I was so annoyed because I couldn't rub them to relieve them. UGH! I couldn't figure out if opening my eyes or closing my eyes felt better. I had to just wait for it to go away. Finally, I fell back to sleep.
Waking up a few hours later was not overly enjoyable. It certainly was not as exciting as waking up the day before! This time, I peeled the shields off again (awesome, as always) and tried to wash the ridiculous amount of shiny adhesive stuff off of my face, all while avoiding my eyes. You really don't realize how often you come in contact with your eyes, or their general vicinity, until you can't go anywhere near them. Also, getting the adhesive off is a pain in the b-u-t-t. I'm still not allowed to wear makeup (foundation at the most, but I'm still a little freaked out to wear any), so I look really awesome stepping out in public. My eyes feel really heavy today and I'm squinting. I'm not squinting as a means to see, though. I think I'm squinting more because my eyes really aren't used to having so much air. It sounds funny, but think about it: I pretty much always wore my contacts, which didn't allow for full airflow access to them. When I took them out I would go straight to bed. When I took them out on occasion and didn't go straight to bed, I would feel what I'm feeling now. It's like air overload, haha.
My vision is a little foggy today, especially in my left eye. I can still see really well, but it feels like I've over worn my contacts and they have a film over them (anyone who has fallen asleep with their contacts in knows this feeling). I have to keep reminding myself that I do not have contacts anymore! I called the doctor only because I was a little nervous with the stinging sensation I felt in my eyes after the Refresh drops. Of all of the drops I have, I was expecting those to feel the best, since there's no real medication tied to them. I was 99% sure what I was experiencing was completely normal, but I decided to call Dr. D. anyhow because he insisted on me calling even if I thought my question was dumb. My suspicions were correct and everything was and is completely normal. However, he is calling a prescription in for me of Restasis for some additional dry eye relief (wohoo!). I'm going to also take the technician's advice and throw the Refresh and Restasis drops in the refrigerator for maximum awesomeness when I plop them in my eyes. I actually can't wait for that!
In other news, I drove for the first time since surgery today! That was pretty cool! I am back to work, but I really can't wait to head home and throw an icepack on my face and just do nothing. My eyes are a little puffy, but overall, everything is still pretty amazing! I looked at my eyes up close today for the first time (I was honestly a little scared to look before) and you really can't even see that I had anything done. It is so stinking cool.
Time for more drops! I'll check in with progress a little later! :)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
"Disgustingly Perfect"
It has been a little over 24 hours since my life-changing LASIK eye surgery and things couldn't be going smoother! It was so exciting to wake up this morning and take a look around. I couldn't stop looking at everything and comparing how I saw before to how I see now. It really was like waking up on Christmas morning.
I really haven't suffered much from discomfort since having the surgery other than a little dry eye feeling (just noticed that within the last couple of hours) which I was used to when wearing contacts, so no biggie there. I have a red dot on the white of my right eye, most likely where the incision flap was made. I've seen pictures of this posted online by post-op patients so I am not concerned about it. I also went to my first post-op appointment today and Dr. D. didn't say anything about it. My dad drove me home tonight and I noticed that traffic lights, headlights and street lights, pretty much all lights seemed to have halos around them. I’ve heard this is typical in recovery so I am not concerned. Honestly, even if I lived with that for the rest of my life, I wouldn't complain.
My one-day post-op appointment went SO well today! I was looking around the office and pointing out to my dad what I couldn't see the last time I was there and what I could see now. He was really impressed. This was the first time in my life where I was excited to be at the eye doctor and even more excited about reading the dreaded chart. I was taken to a machine that I have become oh-so familiar with over the past few weeks that takes pictures and measures the cornea. I'm assuming this would tell Dr. D. if my astigmatism was still present. When I got into an exam room, the technician asked me a few questions and had me read the chart. With both eyes together I could read the BOTTOM line! Separately, with my right eye, I could read the bottom line and with my left eye, I could read part of the bottom line. I got a little discouraged with the left eye, but the technician was very encouraging and said I was doing really well.
Dr. D. came in soon after with one of his assistants who I believe was assisting in the surgery yesterday (again, they all had masks on and I was a little out of it, so I have no idea what they all looked like). He sat down, looked at my chart and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He said, "You must be happy. How are you feeling?" I said, "Ecstatic!" He said, "That's it???! You should be doing a jig with the way you're seeing right now!" I thought “ecstatic” was pretty descriptive myself, but I told him I had already done a jig and we both laughed. He turned to the assistant and asked her if she knew how bad my eyesight was before the surgery and she said, "Ohhhh yeah! I was there!" He then put something in my eyes (I believe to illuminate them briefly) and he looked at them through a light to (I’m assuming) check out the incisions and stepped back with a big grin on his face. He said that everything was great. In fact, he said my eyes were "disgustingly perfect." I couldn't have asked for a better response from him! He told me I had no rippling or waves on my corneal flap (which can happen) and he was extremely happy with the outcome. He also told me that I am ahead of schedule on healing! He said to not hesitate to call with any questions even if I think it's stupid because I've come too far to regress. He also reminded me about how extensive the surgery was that I just had, and to not freak out if my vision goes back and forth during the healing process. The best part? I asked him what my eyesight was at the moment. He was so excited to tell me. Drum roll, please ...... 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left eye!!! That's right! Less than 30 hours ago I saw 20/300 and 20/200 and now I see 20/20 and 20/25!!!!!!!
Dr. D. congratulated me and told me how great of a patient I was. He appreciated that I followed all of his instructions and went through it wonderfully. I felt really great leaving the office. It certainly was a boost in confidence! Anyone who has poor eyesight knows that visiting the eye doctor is not always the most uplifting of experiences. I always felt a little stupid when I couldn't read the chart without help. It's a little hard to explain. I always knew that not reading a chart well didn't make me a dumb person, but it was frustrating and made me feel pretty down about myself when I couldn't "answer correctly". I mean, who can’t tell the difference of a “C” or an “O”?? I am so happy that everything is moving in the right direction and feeling down at the eye doctor's office is becoming a thing of the past!
I also cannot say enough about how impressed I am with the staff I've been dealing with at Nashua Eye Associates. I feel like I have a different relationship with everyone there now and I couldn't be happier. They made me feel comfortable from the moment I explored this option. Everyone is so professional, caring and supportive. I know I made the best decision for myself by going there!
I have one-week post-op appointment next Wednesday, but of course I will update my progress between now and then. Once again, this was the BEST decision I could have ever made in regards to my eyes!
I really haven't suffered much from discomfort since having the surgery other than a little dry eye feeling (just noticed that within the last couple of hours) which I was used to when wearing contacts, so no biggie there. I have a red dot on the white of my right eye, most likely where the incision flap was made. I've seen pictures of this posted online by post-op patients so I am not concerned about it. I also went to my first post-op appointment today and Dr. D. didn't say anything about it. My dad drove me home tonight and I noticed that traffic lights, headlights and street lights, pretty much all lights seemed to have halos around them. I’ve heard this is typical in recovery so I am not concerned. Honestly, even if I lived with that for the rest of my life, I wouldn't complain.
My one-day post-op appointment went SO well today! I was looking around the office and pointing out to my dad what I couldn't see the last time I was there and what I could see now. He was really impressed. This was the first time in my life where I was excited to be at the eye doctor and even more excited about reading the dreaded chart. I was taken to a machine that I have become oh-so familiar with over the past few weeks that takes pictures and measures the cornea. I'm assuming this would tell Dr. D. if my astigmatism was still present. When I got into an exam room, the technician asked me a few questions and had me read the chart. With both eyes together I could read the BOTTOM line! Separately, with my right eye, I could read the bottom line and with my left eye, I could read part of the bottom line. I got a little discouraged with the left eye, but the technician was very encouraging and said I was doing really well.
Dr. D. came in soon after with one of his assistants who I believe was assisting in the surgery yesterday (again, they all had masks on and I was a little out of it, so I have no idea what they all looked like). He sat down, looked at my chart and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He said, "You must be happy. How are you feeling?" I said, "Ecstatic!" He said, "That's it???! You should be doing a jig with the way you're seeing right now!" I thought “ecstatic” was pretty descriptive myself, but I told him I had already done a jig and we both laughed. He turned to the assistant and asked her if she knew how bad my eyesight was before the surgery and she said, "Ohhhh yeah! I was there!" He then put something in my eyes (I believe to illuminate them briefly) and he looked at them through a light to (I’m assuming) check out the incisions and stepped back with a big grin on his face. He said that everything was great. In fact, he said my eyes were "disgustingly perfect." I couldn't have asked for a better response from him! He told me I had no rippling or waves on my corneal flap (which can happen) and he was extremely happy with the outcome. He also told me that I am ahead of schedule on healing! He said to not hesitate to call with any questions even if I think it's stupid because I've come too far to regress. He also reminded me about how extensive the surgery was that I just had, and to not freak out if my vision goes back and forth during the healing process. The best part? I asked him what my eyesight was at the moment. He was so excited to tell me. Drum roll, please ...... 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left eye!!! That's right! Less than 30 hours ago I saw 20/300 and 20/200 and now I see 20/20 and 20/25!!!!!!!
Dr. D. congratulated me and told me how great of a patient I was. He appreciated that I followed all of his instructions and went through it wonderfully. I felt really great leaving the office. It certainly was a boost in confidence! Anyone who has poor eyesight knows that visiting the eye doctor is not always the most uplifting of experiences. I always felt a little stupid when I couldn't read the chart without help. It's a little hard to explain. I always knew that not reading a chart well didn't make me a dumb person, but it was frustrating and made me feel pretty down about myself when I couldn't "answer correctly". I mean, who can’t tell the difference of a “C” or an “O”?? I am so happy that everything is moving in the right direction and feeling down at the eye doctor's office is becoming a thing of the past!
I also cannot say enough about how impressed I am with the staff I've been dealing with at Nashua Eye Associates. I feel like I have a different relationship with everyone there now and I couldn't be happier. They made me feel comfortable from the moment I explored this option. Everyone is so professional, caring and supportive. I know I made the best decision for myself by going there!
I have one-week post-op appointment next Wednesday, but of course I will update my progress between now and then. Once again, this was the BEST decision I could have ever made in regards to my eyes!
Eye Survived! (... get it??)
It's all over and Eye survived! ;)
The experience was better than I had hoped. There was no pain, a slight feeling of being uncomfortable (I'll get to that) and laughs all around. Everyone loved me there because I kept cracking jokes (slight nerves + excitement + Valium = I'm hysterical, apparently! Or, I *think* I'm hysterical!)
I got home from work around 2:15pm and met my mom who just got there herself. I was nervous with a capital "N." I couldn't wait to take the Valium but had to wait a bit. I was stressing. The time came to head out which meant I could take the pill ... phew! The place, Lens Doctors, was a 10-minute ride from my apartment so that was great. We rolled in around 3:10 and checked in, but not before taking a quick photo outside of me wearing my glasses for the LAST time! I was excited, but it was a little bittersweet. I know it sounds strange, but it was kind of weird to realize that I wouldn't see the way I've seen for my entire life in just a few minutes. Even though I was letting go of something negative, it was still something I had known all of my life ... it was kind of emotional!
While we were waiting in the lobby (and as I was freaking out), there was an elderly man sitting across from us who was very nice, but kept mumbling. It was making me (mom, too!) very nervous, haha. Luckily the Valium kicked in right in time and I was good to go! I think I said "I love Valium" 100 times during the course of this procedure. They all probably think I'm an addict.
I was taken over to a little desk and spoke with a really nice woman who went over all of my post-op care instructions. She also gave me a little backpack to keep everything in. I went back to sit with my mom for a bit and then got called into a room for a few moments before being led to a machine to measure my cornea one last time. I could hear someone else in the other room being treated and the woman explained to me what I was hearing (the laser warming up). My measurements were "perfect" according to her and I was led back into the room I came from originally. This time, I was given a b-e-a-utiful hairnet, a few eye drops and some lovely "makeup" to sterilize around my eyes. Dr. D. came in and told me he was "raring to go" for me and went over the procedure with me and what to expect. This was really helpful and comforting to hear. Also, I was so relaxed at this point that he could have told me he was draining out my life savings and I would have been okay with that!
I was brought into the operating room and put on a table/bed. I was given a pillow to go under my legs and chatted with the team for a bit. They were incredibly nice and I had a lot of fun with them. From what I can remember, there were probably 5 or so people in the room all wearing lovely surgical gear so I have no idea what they look like, haha. I was offered another pillow to hold on to but I opted to just hold on to the sides of the bed for dear life :)
***This is where things might get a little descriptive, so if you have a weak stomach :::cough, cough, John::: you might want to bypass this***
There were two locations I needed to be at during the surgery, one to create the flap in my cornea and one for the actual laser correction. The bed moved me to each spot which was awesome. They did one eye at a time. First, they covered my left eye with a shield. Then, I was given some numbing drops. Afterwards, they used something to kind of tape my eyelashes back and then put a suction cup-type thing around my right eye. This was the part that was the most uncomfortable because I felt pressure. It felt like something was hugging my eye and pushing on it. I can only imagine what it looked like, haha! At that point the bed moved me over to the machine that makes the incision. My vision at this point went pretty fuzzy (fine by me!) and also went a little black. This only took a few seconds but I was told to not move and not talk. Afterwards, I was moved back over to the spot where the actual laser correction would take place. I heard Dr. D. say it was a perfect incision, to which I replied, "That’s what I like to hear" (I could talk at this point), and made everyone laugh a bit. I was told that what I already went through was the worst of it and I couldn't believe it. It was SO easy! Dr. D. then used some tools to peel the flap back (I actually can't remember if this was done before or after the bed moved). This was probably the part I disliked the most because although I couldn't feel a thing, I knew what he was doing. I knew when he was done with that because my vision got funky. It was so strange. I then had the laser correction. I was told I would hear the laser warming up (like I had been told earlier) so I wouldn't be startled. The machine was moved over my face and I was told to look into the green light and BAM! The correction began. I could hear a woman saying "25%, 50%, 75%, 100%" and it was done. The team coached me through the entire thing. It was like having my own personal cheerleaders! I could smell a burning electrical smell which I was told was the smell of the machine, but, let's face it, my eye was basically frying under a laser. I expected the smell to be horrible, but it wasn't anything. Dr. D. then used some tools to smooth my corneal flap back to where it needed to be and took all the things holding my eye in place together, out. As they took the stuff out on my right eye, I had a quick glimpse of the machine and I could actually see it. I had a moment of "cool!" before they put a shield on. The shield covering my left eye was then moved to my right eye and the same thing was repeated on the left eye. After the right eye was done, Dr. D. said how perfectly it had turned out. He said, "You know how some people are just made for certain procedures? You were made for this." That made me feel really great.
The procedure was done before I knew it and they took everything off of my left eye and helped me up from the bed. They asked how I felt and I told them the Patriots' Super Bowl loss was worse than the procedure. They all laughed and agreed. I was led into the post-op room where the woman who helped me in the beginning came in to see how I was. My mom met me inside and Dr. D. came in as well to take a look at the incision. He said everything was great and he'd see me the next day at 2:10pm for my post-op appointment. I told him I could cry because I was so happy and after laughing, he told me not to because I would "float my flap", um, ew. I opted for smiling! I was given some more numbing drops, had lovely eye-shields and sunglasses put on, took a departing photo and went on my merry way!
All-in-all I was at Lens Doctors for maybe an hour and a half, in the operating room for 25 minutes and the actual laser correction was 25-seconds each eye. I had to be worked on a little more than usual because my astigmatism was "unique", haha ... aka horrible.
I called John and told him not to worry, only one of my eyeballs fell out.
Soon after, my eyes were feeling scratchy and as if I stared at the sun for a bit. They almost felt sunburned, or as if I had worn my contacts for days without rewetting drops (which I used to do, once upon a time ... shhh!), but nothing terrible. I could see, but it was a little foggy. We had to run back to my place to get Remmie and I bumped into one of my neighbors. The best part? She didn't even question why I was wearing these ridiculous shields and sunglasses over my eyes. I told her why I was looking ridiculous, but I don't think she would have asked or even really thought anything was out of the ordinary. Good to know my neighbors think I'm a whack job!
I headed to my mom and dad's and just lounged on the couch for the night. I was told to try to sleep, but that was not going to happen. Oh well! At that point I hardly felt any discomfort. Best decision of my life. Enjoy the photos we took to document the experience!
The experience was better than I had hoped. There was no pain, a slight feeling of being uncomfortable (I'll get to that) and laughs all around. Everyone loved me there because I kept cracking jokes (slight nerves + excitement + Valium = I'm hysterical, apparently! Or, I *think* I'm hysterical!)
I got home from work around 2:15pm and met my mom who just got there herself. I was nervous with a capital "N." I couldn't wait to take the Valium but had to wait a bit. I was stressing. The time came to head out which meant I could take the pill ... phew! The place, Lens Doctors, was a 10-minute ride from my apartment so that was great. We rolled in around 3:10 and checked in, but not before taking a quick photo outside of me wearing my glasses for the LAST time! I was excited, but it was a little bittersweet. I know it sounds strange, but it was kind of weird to realize that I wouldn't see the way I've seen for my entire life in just a few minutes. Even though I was letting go of something negative, it was still something I had known all of my life ... it was kind of emotional!
While we were waiting in the lobby (and as I was freaking out), there was an elderly man sitting across from us who was very nice, but kept mumbling. It was making me (mom, too!) very nervous, haha. Luckily the Valium kicked in right in time and I was good to go! I think I said "I love Valium" 100 times during the course of this procedure. They all probably think I'm an addict.
I was taken over to a little desk and spoke with a really nice woman who went over all of my post-op care instructions. She also gave me a little backpack to keep everything in. I went back to sit with my mom for a bit and then got called into a room for a few moments before being led to a machine to measure my cornea one last time. I could hear someone else in the other room being treated and the woman explained to me what I was hearing (the laser warming up). My measurements were "perfect" according to her and I was led back into the room I came from originally. This time, I was given a b-e-a-utiful hairnet, a few eye drops and some lovely "makeup" to sterilize around my eyes. Dr. D. came in and told me he was "raring to go" for me and went over the procedure with me and what to expect. This was really helpful and comforting to hear. Also, I was so relaxed at this point that he could have told me he was draining out my life savings and I would have been okay with that!
I was brought into the operating room and put on a table/bed. I was given a pillow to go under my legs and chatted with the team for a bit. They were incredibly nice and I had a lot of fun with them. From what I can remember, there were probably 5 or so people in the room all wearing lovely surgical gear so I have no idea what they look like, haha. I was offered another pillow to hold on to but I opted to just hold on to the sides of the bed for dear life :)
***This is where things might get a little descriptive, so if you have a weak stomach :::cough, cough, John::: you might want to bypass this***
There were two locations I needed to be at during the surgery, one to create the flap in my cornea and one for the actual laser correction. The bed moved me to each spot which was awesome. They did one eye at a time. First, they covered my left eye with a shield. Then, I was given some numbing drops. Afterwards, they used something to kind of tape my eyelashes back and then put a suction cup-type thing around my right eye. This was the part that was the most uncomfortable because I felt pressure. It felt like something was hugging my eye and pushing on it. I can only imagine what it looked like, haha! At that point the bed moved me over to the machine that makes the incision. My vision at this point went pretty fuzzy (fine by me!) and also went a little black. This only took a few seconds but I was told to not move and not talk. Afterwards, I was moved back over to the spot where the actual laser correction would take place. I heard Dr. D. say it was a perfect incision, to which I replied, "That’s what I like to hear" (I could talk at this point), and made everyone laugh a bit. I was told that what I already went through was the worst of it and I couldn't believe it. It was SO easy! Dr. D. then used some tools to peel the flap back (I actually can't remember if this was done before or after the bed moved). This was probably the part I disliked the most because although I couldn't feel a thing, I knew what he was doing. I knew when he was done with that because my vision got funky. It was so strange. I then had the laser correction. I was told I would hear the laser warming up (like I had been told earlier) so I wouldn't be startled. The machine was moved over my face and I was told to look into the green light and BAM! The correction began. I could hear a woman saying "25%, 50%, 75%, 100%" and it was done. The team coached me through the entire thing. It was like having my own personal cheerleaders! I could smell a burning electrical smell which I was told was the smell of the machine, but, let's face it, my eye was basically frying under a laser. I expected the smell to be horrible, but it wasn't anything. Dr. D. then used some tools to smooth my corneal flap back to where it needed to be and took all the things holding my eye in place together, out. As they took the stuff out on my right eye, I had a quick glimpse of the machine and I could actually see it. I had a moment of "cool!" before they put a shield on. The shield covering my left eye was then moved to my right eye and the same thing was repeated on the left eye. After the right eye was done, Dr. D. said how perfectly it had turned out. He said, "You know how some people are just made for certain procedures? You were made for this." That made me feel really great.
The procedure was done before I knew it and they took everything off of my left eye and helped me up from the bed. They asked how I felt and I told them the Patriots' Super Bowl loss was worse than the procedure. They all laughed and agreed. I was led into the post-op room where the woman who helped me in the beginning came in to see how I was. My mom met me inside and Dr. D. came in as well to take a look at the incision. He said everything was great and he'd see me the next day at 2:10pm for my post-op appointment. I told him I could cry because I was so happy and after laughing, he told me not to because I would "float my flap", um, ew. I opted for smiling! I was given some more numbing drops, had lovely eye-shields and sunglasses put on, took a departing photo and went on my merry way!
All-in-all I was at Lens Doctors for maybe an hour and a half, in the operating room for 25 minutes and the actual laser correction was 25-seconds each eye. I had to be worked on a little more than usual because my astigmatism was "unique", haha ... aka horrible.
I called John and told him not to worry, only one of my eyeballs fell out.
Soon after, my eyes were feeling scratchy and as if I stared at the sun for a bit. They almost felt sunburned, or as if I had worn my contacts for days without rewetting drops (which I used to do, once upon a time ... shhh!), but nothing terrible. I could see, but it was a little foggy. We had to run back to my place to get Remmie and I bumped into one of my neighbors. The best part? She didn't even question why I was wearing these ridiculous shields and sunglasses over my eyes. I told her why I was looking ridiculous, but I don't think she would have asked or even really thought anything was out of the ordinary. Good to know my neighbors think I'm a whack job!
I headed to my mom and dad's and just lounged on the couch for the night. I was told to try to sleep, but that was not going to happen. Oh well! At that point I hardly felt any discomfort. Best decision of my life. Enjoy the photos we took to document the experience!
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| The LAST time I will be wearing these glasses! |
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| Loving my sweet makeup |
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| Thumbs up and ready to go! |
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| My bff for the day. Looking snazzy with my new eye shields after the surgery. |
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| ALL DONE! WOHOO! |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Today is THE Day!
So, this is it! Today is THE day! :D
Surprisingly I am not overly nervous or anxious. I'm waiting for my typical anxiety to kick in (I'm slightly freaked out that I'm not totally losing it yet). I am definitely a little more nervous today than yesterday, though. I got a really good amount of sleep last night and packed everything up (including laundry, haha. Not missing out on this opportunity!) I'll be sure to give me eyes a good rub since I can't do that for a little while as they heal, haha.
Last night, I picked up my prescriptions and as I was leaving the pharmacy I just happened to walk down the eye care aisle. I stood there for a minute realizing that I won't need to use 99% of the products for many, many years. Pretty neat!
John called later on and I gave him the rundown on the procedure since he can't be here for it. I had to leave out the details since he hates anything that has to do with eyes. I used to freak him out by touching my eyes when I'd have my contacts in. He couldn't stand it; I loved it, haha. We started to joke and come up with weird scenarios on what could happen (nothing serious ... all completely ridiculous and funny). What if my eyes completely changed color? What if I could finally see what he looked like and I wasn't a fan? What if I suddenly stop liking football and the occasional beer and opted for the ballet and only fine wine? He decided he needed to start shaving more because the jig was up. We had a good laugh and I think it calmed both of our nerves. I'll probably have my mom call him later and tell him my eyes fell out ;)
Send some positive eye vibes today around 3:40pm when I am set to go under the laser. Hopefully it is done before I even have time to think about it. My friend Marina made me laugh yesterday when she asked, "How long after until you can 'see'?" I said, "Apparently I can go back to work the next day!" She responded with, "Oh wow, that fast! So you just open your eyes and ta-da?" Haha, I think I am going to make the surgeon say that when he's done :)
Bye for now! :D
Surprisingly I am not overly nervous or anxious. I'm waiting for my typical anxiety to kick in (I'm slightly freaked out that I'm not totally losing it yet). I am definitely a little more nervous today than yesterday, though. I got a really good amount of sleep last night and packed everything up (including laundry, haha. Not missing out on this opportunity!) I'll be sure to give me eyes a good rub since I can't do that for a little while as they heal, haha.
Last night, I picked up my prescriptions and as I was leaving the pharmacy I just happened to walk down the eye care aisle. I stood there for a minute realizing that I won't need to use 99% of the products for many, many years. Pretty neat!
John called later on and I gave him the rundown on the procedure since he can't be here for it. I had to leave out the details since he hates anything that has to do with eyes. I used to freak him out by touching my eyes when I'd have my contacts in. He couldn't stand it; I loved it, haha. We started to joke and come up with weird scenarios on what could happen (nothing serious ... all completely ridiculous and funny). What if my eyes completely changed color? What if I could finally see what he looked like and I wasn't a fan? What if I suddenly stop liking football and the occasional beer and opted for the ballet and only fine wine? He decided he needed to start shaving more because the jig was up. We had a good laugh and I think it calmed both of our nerves. I'll probably have my mom call him later and tell him my eyes fell out ;)
Send some positive eye vibes today around 3:40pm when I am set to go under the laser. Hopefully it is done before I even have time to think about it. My friend Marina made me laugh yesterday when she asked, "How long after until you can 'see'?" I said, "Apparently I can go back to work the next day!" She responded with, "Oh wow, that fast! So you just open your eyes and ta-da?" Haha, I think I am going to make the surgeon say that when he's done :)
Bye for now! :D
Monday, February 6, 2012
Day Before Surgery
Today is the day before my All-Laser LASIK Refractive Eye Surgery! I am not really anxious at the moment, but I attribute that to my attempts at trying to recover from the Patriots loss in the Super Bowl last night ... to the Giants ... and to a Manning no less. Ugh.
I just went through the packet of information the doctor gave me after my appointment on Friday (now that my eyes are back to "normal" after being dilated). I was told before I went through the packet, that there are a lot of "worst-case scenarios" laid out but to not worry much and call if I have any questions or concerns. I understand that they need to put it all out on the table and that complications, both serious and minor, are unlikely, but it is still slightly unsettling to read! I will sign off on all of it and my mom (you need a witness) will also sign the paperwork prior to arriving at the surgery location. It is important to note: If you show up to the surgery facility without all of the paperwork, they will not operate, which makes total sense because they are all consent forms. I will be picking up my prescriptions today as well. I also need to take these with me to the facility tomorrow or they will not go forward with the procedure. I will be getting a prescription for Valium that needs to be taken one hour before the surgery (TOTALLY necessary!!!), a steroid eye drop as well as a prescription for Vigamox, which is for the treatment of bacterial infections. Luckily, since I've been wearing contacts for so long, the once scary eye drops are now nothing to me. I think this is also why I am not overly nervous about having a procedure done that involves people being all up in my eyes ;)
I am going to go into work for a half day tomorrow since my surgery isn't until 3:40pm. I also think if I'm sitting around my apartment by myself, I'll just start getting more nervous than necessary. My mom is meeting me at my place and we'll head to the surgery location! Conveniently, it is 10 minutes from where I live in Manchester, so that's helpful! Afterwards, my mom is bringing me back to my place to pick up Remmie and we'll head to Nashua so I can stay with my parents for the night ... juuuuust in case anything happens where I need a little help :::knock on wood::: Also, I'm taking the next day off of work and have a post-op appointment in Nashua at Nashua Eye anyhow, so it makes it easier for everyone, I think. If all goes well, I'll be back at work on Thursday. Thinking about it now, I was much more nervous when I was set to get my wisdom teeth out, so I'm feeling pretty good about this!
I haven't worn my contacts since Sunday, January 29th and I will never wear them again if all goes as planned! I was not allowed to wear makeup today and the same will be for tomorrow. I also cannot wear any lotions or perfume/body spray tomorrow. After the surgery, I can't rub my eyes for several days for risk of reopening the incision, I know, gross. I don't see this as being a huge problem because while wearing contacts, I would avoid rubbing my eyes anyhow. If I did, they would flip around and I'd have blurred vision until they fell back into place, or fall out (because of my astigmatism, my contacts were weighted and had to stay virtually movement-free for me to really see out of them. I couldn't just pop them in in the morning without looking for a marker showing me which end was up). That, and rubbing my eyes would mess up my mascara ;)
If I have time tomorrow I will be sure to post, if not, I will post after my surgery! I can't wait!
I just went through the packet of information the doctor gave me after my appointment on Friday (now that my eyes are back to "normal" after being dilated). I was told before I went through the packet, that there are a lot of "worst-case scenarios" laid out but to not worry much and call if I have any questions or concerns. I understand that they need to put it all out on the table and that complications, both serious and minor, are unlikely, but it is still slightly unsettling to read! I will sign off on all of it and my mom (you need a witness) will also sign the paperwork prior to arriving at the surgery location. It is important to note: If you show up to the surgery facility without all of the paperwork, they will not operate, which makes total sense because they are all consent forms. I will be picking up my prescriptions today as well. I also need to take these with me to the facility tomorrow or they will not go forward with the procedure. I will be getting a prescription for Valium that needs to be taken one hour before the surgery (TOTALLY necessary!!!), a steroid eye drop as well as a prescription for Vigamox, which is for the treatment of bacterial infections. Luckily, since I've been wearing contacts for so long, the once scary eye drops are now nothing to me. I think this is also why I am not overly nervous about having a procedure done that involves people being all up in my eyes ;)
I am going to go into work for a half day tomorrow since my surgery isn't until 3:40pm. I also think if I'm sitting around my apartment by myself, I'll just start getting more nervous than necessary. My mom is meeting me at my place and we'll head to the surgery location! Conveniently, it is 10 minutes from where I live in Manchester, so that's helpful! Afterwards, my mom is bringing me back to my place to pick up Remmie and we'll head to Nashua so I can stay with my parents for the night ... juuuuust in case anything happens where I need a little help :::knock on wood::: Also, I'm taking the next day off of work and have a post-op appointment in Nashua at Nashua Eye anyhow, so it makes it easier for everyone, I think. If all goes well, I'll be back at work on Thursday. Thinking about it now, I was much more nervous when I was set to get my wisdom teeth out, so I'm feeling pretty good about this!
I haven't worn my contacts since Sunday, January 29th and I will never wear them again if all goes as planned! I was not allowed to wear makeup today and the same will be for tomorrow. I also cannot wear any lotions or perfume/body spray tomorrow. After the surgery, I can't rub my eyes for several days for risk of reopening the incision, I know, gross. I don't see this as being a huge problem because while wearing contacts, I would avoid rubbing my eyes anyhow. If I did, they would flip around and I'd have blurred vision until they fell back into place, or fall out (because of my astigmatism, my contacts were weighted and had to stay virtually movement-free for me to really see out of them. I couldn't just pop them in in the morning without looking for a marker showing me which end was up). That, and rubbing my eyes would mess up my mascara ;)
If I have time tomorrow I will be sure to post, if not, I will post after my surgery! I can't wait!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
LASIK Approved!!
Hey everyone! I decided to start this blog to document my experience with LASIK eye surgery ... from pre-op appointments to post-op experiences - the whole shebang! Besides the initial research I did on the procedure, what helped me prepare to take the plunge the most was all of the personal experience blogs I came across and talking with people who recently had it done. I know a lot of my friends are on the fence about exploring this option more seriously, so I hope this will help them in one way or another.
I have had the wonderful (please note the sarcasm) experience of relying on glasses to see for 20 years, contacts a little more than 10. I have an astigmatism in both eyes, which means the curvature of my eyes are shaped more like a football than that of a sphere, or a baseball (which I attribute to my diehard love for football and the New England Patriots) which distorts my vision dramatically. It makes it so I cannot see fine details both up close and at a distance. For instance, if you are standing a bit of a distance away from me (but really not that far), I can see the outline of your body, but I cannot see your facial features; it's all a blur. I probably couldn't tell if you were looking at me or not. Another example: I can typically see an exit sign outline at a little distance, but I can't really see the word "Exit"; it all blends together. My eyesight without the help of glasses is 20/300 in my right eye, and 20/200 in my left (yeah, seriously). That basically means (besides being pretty blind!) that when I stand 20 feet from something, I can see what someone with "normal" eyesight can see at 300 feet ... yeah. Last night, my eye doctor said I have a "unique" astigmatism (while smirking). Another one of my eye doctors once told me if my parents did not take me to the eye doctor back when they did (I was in first grade), that I could have become legally blind, making it harder to correct. However, I just learned that 20/200 vision is the cutoff for legal blindness in the US ... Great! Talk about scary! Needless to say, when I heard that LASIK existed, I was instantly interested.
Back when I heard about LASIK (I was probably a teenager), I wasn't even a candidate. Patients with an astigmatism did not qualify. I stayed confident that, eventually, science would progress enough to make me a candidate. Heck, when I first started wearing contacts, I had to buy one set at a time and would have to wear them for a full year. They were horrible! They were HUGE (you could see them when you just looked me in the eyes), uncomfortable, and anyone who wears contacts knows they oftentimes develop calcium deposits (little white bumps, usually from overuse) on them which make them even more uncomfortable and seemingly kept my vision from being top notch. This was back when monthly disposable contacts were new and, of course, not meant for people with bad astigmatisms like myself. I also contracted conjunctivitis a few times which meant having to get rid of the contacts that were supposed to last me a year and get new ones. After a back and forth battle with that, and not wanting my parents to keep shelling out hundreds of dollars every time I had to get a new set of contacts (of course, since my eyesight was so bad, contacts were pricey!), I decided to stick with the glasses for a while. Years later, I was given the gift of qualifying for monthly disposable contacts! Horray! I couldn't believe it. It made me start thinking about how I just might possibly now qualify for LASIK. I spoke with my doctor about it and he said something I couldn't believe. I was actually a potential candidate! He wanted me to wait a few years until I hit my mid twenties where my eyesight would most likely be pretty stable before moving forward with a consultation.
Fast forward a few years and here I am! I was patient for so long and decided to go for it on a whim this year. I made sure I could afford it (saving money each week and working out some financing) and shopped around at different local facilities. I ended up going with Nashua Eye Associates in Nashua, NH, which is actually my eye doctor. I felt comfortable enough to give them a call since they already knew my entire eye history (they are the only eye doctors I have seen for 20 years). I mustered up enough courage to call and spoke to a really nice woman (who actually knew one of my brothers and many of my friends) who set up a consultation appointment. I was already feeling really great about this decision.
A few weeks ago I took my mom and went in for a general consultation. This is where I met the team (surgeon and assistants), took a couple of eye tests and went through an interview process. The eye doctor/surgeon, Dr. D., asked me questions to ensure he felt comfortable with performing the surgery on me and I was able to ask him a lot of questions to ensure I felt comfortable with him ... these are my eyes, afterall! Turns out, my aunt worked with him for 10 years and my cousin was his physical therapist when he hurt his shoulder (and all on awesome terms with each other)! From that point on, I felt even more comfortable because there was now a personal aspect tied to it. All of my questions were answered and he said he felt comfortable with moving forward to the next step, but stressed that if the next round of testing showed anything that made him feel even slightly uncomfortable, he wouldn't move forward. That made me feel even better knowing that he wasn't going to do anything he wasn't comfortable with just to make a couple of bucks.
I made my next appointment to come in for a marathon session of eye tests (3 hours roughly). ***Important to note: Do not wear your contacts for at least 3 days before going in for this exam.*** Your eyes swell when you wear them and they cannot get accurate measurement readings for the surgery. I made this mistake and had to come back another time (a miscommunication). That appointment happened last night. They tested for everything under the sun: The dreaded "puff" test, measurements of my cornea, collected my tears (sounds so creepy!), measured my astigmatism, measured the thickness of my cornea (very important. If it's too thin, it's a no-go), and checked my prescription. The doctor also dilated my pupils (they are still dilated almost 24 hours later, which was to be expected) and checked for any "skeletons" as he put it, which would be any underlying eye diseases that the other tests couldn't pick up. I was told I was good to go! I couldn't believe it. I really wanted to cry because I was so happy. I was then taken into an office to schedule my surgery (they only do this once a month) and went over some specifics and got some prescriptions (Valium, yay!). I then paid and went on my merry way. It was official. Oh, and I made sure I was cleared to drink on Sunday for the Super Bowl (GO PATS!) I was not the only one to ask this question, apparently! I half wanted to ask for an extra Valium to calm my nerves for the game ;)
The price I am paying for All-Laser LASIK is $1995 each eye. I was able to get approved for financing through CareCredit, luckily, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get this done for probably a year or two. The price tag can give some a little sticker shock, but there is no amount of money that can describe being able to see independently ... not to mention all of the money saved over my lifetime on new lenses, frames, contacts, solutions, cases, cleaners, etc. I'll never forget what it was like for me to put glasses on for the first time back when I was six or seven. "That's how everything looks?!" It was a no-brainer for me to move forward with this.
My surgery is THIS coming Tuesday, February 7th, 2012. I go in for 3:15pm and my surgery is at 3:40pm. They say I will be there for an hour and a half, but the procedure itself only lasts 15 seconds each eye! Unbelievable!
If I don't update before, I will certainly update after my surgery!
I'm so excited. But more importantly right now, GO PATRIOTS!! :D
I have had the wonderful (please note the sarcasm) experience of relying on glasses to see for 20 years, contacts a little more than 10. I have an astigmatism in both eyes, which means the curvature of my eyes are shaped more like a football than that of a sphere, or a baseball (which I attribute to my diehard love for football and the New England Patriots) which distorts my vision dramatically. It makes it so I cannot see fine details both up close and at a distance. For instance, if you are standing a bit of a distance away from me (but really not that far), I can see the outline of your body, but I cannot see your facial features; it's all a blur. I probably couldn't tell if you were looking at me or not. Another example: I can typically see an exit sign outline at a little distance, but I can't really see the word "Exit"; it all blends together. My eyesight without the help of glasses is 20/300 in my right eye, and 20/200 in my left (yeah, seriously). That basically means (besides being pretty blind!) that when I stand 20 feet from something, I can see what someone with "normal" eyesight can see at 300 feet ... yeah. Last night, my eye doctor said I have a "unique" astigmatism (while smirking). Another one of my eye doctors once told me if my parents did not take me to the eye doctor back when they did (I was in first grade), that I could have become legally blind, making it harder to correct. However, I just learned that 20/200 vision is the cutoff for legal blindness in the US ... Great! Talk about scary! Needless to say, when I heard that LASIK existed, I was instantly interested.
Back when I heard about LASIK (I was probably a teenager), I wasn't even a candidate. Patients with an astigmatism did not qualify. I stayed confident that, eventually, science would progress enough to make me a candidate. Heck, when I first started wearing contacts, I had to buy one set at a time and would have to wear them for a full year. They were horrible! They were HUGE (you could see them when you just looked me in the eyes), uncomfortable, and anyone who wears contacts knows they oftentimes develop calcium deposits (little white bumps, usually from overuse) on them which make them even more uncomfortable and seemingly kept my vision from being top notch. This was back when monthly disposable contacts were new and, of course, not meant for people with bad astigmatisms like myself. I also contracted conjunctivitis a few times which meant having to get rid of the contacts that were supposed to last me a year and get new ones. After a back and forth battle with that, and not wanting my parents to keep shelling out hundreds of dollars every time I had to get a new set of contacts (of course, since my eyesight was so bad, contacts were pricey!), I decided to stick with the glasses for a while. Years later, I was given the gift of qualifying for monthly disposable contacts! Horray! I couldn't believe it. It made me start thinking about how I just might possibly now qualify for LASIK. I spoke with my doctor about it and he said something I couldn't believe. I was actually a potential candidate! He wanted me to wait a few years until I hit my mid twenties where my eyesight would most likely be pretty stable before moving forward with a consultation.
Fast forward a few years and here I am! I was patient for so long and decided to go for it on a whim this year. I made sure I could afford it (saving money each week and working out some financing) and shopped around at different local facilities. I ended up going with Nashua Eye Associates in Nashua, NH, which is actually my eye doctor. I felt comfortable enough to give them a call since they already knew my entire eye history (they are the only eye doctors I have seen for 20 years). I mustered up enough courage to call and spoke to a really nice woman (who actually knew one of my brothers and many of my friends) who set up a consultation appointment. I was already feeling really great about this decision.
A few weeks ago I took my mom and went in for a general consultation. This is where I met the team (surgeon and assistants), took a couple of eye tests and went through an interview process. The eye doctor/surgeon, Dr. D., asked me questions to ensure he felt comfortable with performing the surgery on me and I was able to ask him a lot of questions to ensure I felt comfortable with him ... these are my eyes, afterall! Turns out, my aunt worked with him for 10 years and my cousin was his physical therapist when he hurt his shoulder (and all on awesome terms with each other)! From that point on, I felt even more comfortable because there was now a personal aspect tied to it. All of my questions were answered and he said he felt comfortable with moving forward to the next step, but stressed that if the next round of testing showed anything that made him feel even slightly uncomfortable, he wouldn't move forward. That made me feel even better knowing that he wasn't going to do anything he wasn't comfortable with just to make a couple of bucks.
I made my next appointment to come in for a marathon session of eye tests (3 hours roughly). ***Important to note: Do not wear your contacts for at least 3 days before going in for this exam.*** Your eyes swell when you wear them and they cannot get accurate measurement readings for the surgery. I made this mistake and had to come back another time (a miscommunication). That appointment happened last night. They tested for everything under the sun: The dreaded "puff" test, measurements of my cornea, collected my tears (sounds so creepy!), measured my astigmatism, measured the thickness of my cornea (very important. If it's too thin, it's a no-go), and checked my prescription. The doctor also dilated my pupils (they are still dilated almost 24 hours later, which was to be expected) and checked for any "skeletons" as he put it, which would be any underlying eye diseases that the other tests couldn't pick up. I was told I was good to go! I couldn't believe it. I really wanted to cry because I was so happy. I was then taken into an office to schedule my surgery (they only do this once a month) and went over some specifics and got some prescriptions (Valium, yay!). I then paid and went on my merry way. It was official. Oh, and I made sure I was cleared to drink on Sunday for the Super Bowl (GO PATS!) I was not the only one to ask this question, apparently! I half wanted to ask for an extra Valium to calm my nerves for the game ;)
The price I am paying for All-Laser LASIK is $1995 each eye. I was able to get approved for financing through CareCredit, luckily, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get this done for probably a year or two. The price tag can give some a little sticker shock, but there is no amount of money that can describe being able to see independently ... not to mention all of the money saved over my lifetime on new lenses, frames, contacts, solutions, cases, cleaners, etc. I'll never forget what it was like for me to put glasses on for the first time back when I was six or seven. "That's how everything looks?!" It was a no-brainer for me to move forward with this.
My surgery is THIS coming Tuesday, February 7th, 2012. I go in for 3:15pm and my surgery is at 3:40pm. They say I will be there for an hour and a half, but the procedure itself only lasts 15 seconds each eye! Unbelievable!
If I don't update before, I will certainly update after my surgery!
I'm so excited. But more importantly right now, GO PATRIOTS!! :D
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